How To Make A Dry Needling Negligence Claim
Dry needling is a procedure that is similar to acupuncture, where needles are inserted into the body, to ease muscle pain. Have you been injured due to dry needling negligence? Whether the practitioner was at fault, or you were injured due to negligence on the part of the clinic, you may be able to make a clinical negligence claim for compensation.
Dry needling negligence claims
If you believe that you are owed compensation for injuries caused by dry needling negligence, call Legal Expert today on 0800 073 8804. A personal injury claims advisor will speak to you in depth about your ordeal and if we can see that you have legitimate grounds to claim compensation, we will assign a solicitor to work on your dry needling negligence claim. Alternatively, use our online claims form to reach us.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Dry Needling Negligence Claims
- What Is Dry Needling?
- What Is Dry Needling Negligence?
- What Are The Benefits Of Dry Needling?
- Who Can Carry Out Dry Needling In The UK?
- What Are The Risks And Side Effects Of This Treatment
- Pneumothorax Caused By Dry Needling
- Dry Needling Negligence Compensation Claims Calculator
- Special Damages Victims Of Negligent Medical Procedures Can Claim
- No Win No Fee Dry Needling Negligence Claims
- How We Could Help You Claim For Negligent Medical Practices
- Start A Dry Needling Claim
- Resources And Claims Guides
A Guide To Dry Needling Negligence Claims
Can dry needling cause an injury? Dry needling practitioners receive training on how to carry out the procedure safely. However, if the person carrying out your procedure, or the clinic you go to has neglected to follow best practices, this could result in you, the patient, suffering an injury. In this guide, we will look at what the benefits of dry needling are, as well as any risks or side effects associated with this procedure.
If you have been injured because of medical negligence during a dry needling procedure, call Legal Expert today to speak to a claims advisor. If we can see that you have legitimate grounds to claim compensation for your injuries, we will provide you with a knowledgeable clinical negligence solicitor to handle your claim. Our panel of solicitors have up to three decades of experience handling personal injury claims, so your case is bound to be in safe hands.
What Is Dry Needling?
Dry needling (also called intramuscular stimulation) is a procedure that is similar to acupuncture. The procedure involves a practitioner using stainless steel filiform needles and placing them into a person’s body. The needles that are used are short and don’t inject fluid into the body, hence the term dry needling. What is the purpose of dry needling? The needles are placed on trigger points on the patient’s soft tissues or muscles. These are knotted muscles or hard muscles. This can include treatment for muscle pain or fibromyalgia pain. Dry needling for injury treatment, such as sports injuries, is also available. The needle may also be inserted in areas to relieve muscle spasms. It can also be carried out to help improve a patient’s flexibility. Is dry needling painful? Dry needling can be painful, especially if it is used to treat the site of a soft tissue injury.
Is dry needling the same as acupuncture? There are lots of discussions online about the benefits of dry needling vs acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient practice which is designed to open up the person’s energy flow (chi) to help relieve pain. There is solid research available, to suggest that acupuncture is effective, whilst dry needling is a relatively new procedure, so there is less research available on how effective it is.
What are the main techniques used in dry needling? There is an in-out insertion technique, also called sparrow pecking or pistoning. The needle does not stay in the skin for very long when this technique is used. In-out insertion techniques are used to target trigger points in the muscles. There is also a non-trigger point technique in which the needles are placed around the point of pain, not directly on it. This practice is based on the idea that the pain is due to a greater issue affecting the surrounding muscles or nerves.
What Is Dry Needling Negligence?
Dry needling is an alternative therapy rather than a recognised medical procedure. However, practitioners still have a duty of care towards their clients. This means that they are responsible for the client’s health and safety when carrying out these procedures. If the practitioner, or the clinic where the treatment takes place acts negligently, leading to the client becoming injured or ill, this is dry needling negligence. If you have been injured due to clinical negligence during a dry needling procedure, you may be able to claim compensation. Call Legal Expert today to speak to us about making a dry needling claim for compensation.
What Are The Benefits Of Dry Needling?
What dry needling benefits do patients enjoy? Dry needling is used to treat muscle pain and stiffness as well as sports injuries and pain experienced by people who suffer from fibromyalgia. People with injuries often find it can improve flexibility and improve their range of motion. This may be helpful if a patient has dry needling on their shoulder or knee.
Because dry needling is a relatively new technique, there is not much research on its effectiveness as a procedure. Some studies show that the treatment has a positive effect relieving mild to moderate pain. Another study showed that dry needling was not more effective for treating muscle pain, than stretching.
Who Can Carry Out Dry Needling In The UK?
In the United Kingdom dry-needling can be carried out by a physiotherapist, massage therapist, chiropractor, osteomyologist, osteopath or a general practitioner. Many bodies offer courses for professionals who are eligible to practice dry-needling in the UK.
Licensing And Regulation
Because dry needling and acupuncture require skin piercing, practitioners will need a Local Authority licence and registration. If you are interested in practicing dry needling, check with your Local Authority to see what the requirements are to get one.
What Are The Risks And Side Effects Of This Treatment
Dry needling involves piercing the skin and inserting needles into the body. Therefore it is important that the person who is carrying out the procedure is properly trained and carries out professional best practices. There are also side effects associated with dry needling as well.
Mild Side Effects
Dry needling can cause these mild side effects: bleeding, bruising and temporary soreness. All of these are to be expected and will usually heal on their own. These are not the only negative side effects a patient can experience. Other mild side effects of dry needling include: dizziness, feeling faint, drowsiness, sweating, nausea, or symptoms becoming aggravated before they improve.
Serious Side Effects
In more extreme cases a patient could experience more significant side effects to dry needling. These can include: bleeding for a long time, vomiting and nausea, headaches, fatigue, a severe dry needling emotional response, gastrointestinal disturbances, fainting, skin irritation and seizures.
As well as more extreme side effects, dry needling negligence can cause the client to become ill. If a dry-needling needle is used that is not sterile, the client could experience a blood borne infection. If a practitioner uses a needle that has already been used on another patient, this could also lead to the transmission of a blood borne infection. This could include hepatitis or HIV. Another serious injury that can be caused by dry needling negligence is the puncture of a major organ. If you have experienced a serious injury due to clinical negligence whilst undergoing dry needling treatment, we recommend that you visit a hospital Accident & Emergency department (A&E) as soon as possible.
Pneumothorax Caused By Dry Needling
One of the most serious consequences of dry needling negligence is pneumothorax. This occurs when air leaks between the lungs and chest wall. This means that the lungs aren’t fully able to inflate. This can lead to a collapsed lung. The lung can be either completely or partially collapsed. Symptoms of pneumothorax from dry needling include shortness of breath and chest pains.
Pneumothorax could be caused by a penetrating chest or upper back injury, such as needles being inserted wrongly into a patient’s chest during a medical procedure. Immediate symptoms of the condition may include sudden pains in the chest and problems with breathing (such as shortness of breath). In rare instances the condition may be life-threatening.
Fortunately a pneumothorax is rare and treatable. A collapsed lung can be treated by removing the air between the lungs and the chest wall with a syringe, so the lung can inflate. If the collapsed lung injury repeats itself, the pneumothorax can be treated with an operation. If you experience the symptoms of pneumothorax after dry needling, or in any other situation, we recommend you visit a hospital Accident & Emergency department (A&E) for further treatment.
Dry Needling Negligence Compensation Claims Calculator
If you have suffered an injury due to dry needling negligence, you may be able to claim compensation. You can use our claims calculator, to estimate how much your medical negligence claim could be worth. These compensation amounts are estimations, which are based on Judicial College Guidelines. However every claim is of course different, so the amount of compensation you are awarded can vary. To receive an accurate estimation of how much compensation you could be owed, call Legal Expert today to speak to an advisor.
| Injury Sustained | Seriousness | Comments On The Injury | Estimated Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest injury | (A) | In the worst instances, the claimant will have needed to undergo the removal of a lung. There may also be serious damage to other organs in the chest. | £94,470 to £140,870 |
| Chest injury | (B) | This level includes traumatic chest injuries which could affect the heart or lungs. There may be impaired functions and the life expectancy may be reduced. | £61,710 to £94,470 |
| Chest injury | (C) | Injuries to the organs of the chest (lungs etc) which causes some level of disability. | £29,380 to £51,460 |
| Chest injury | (D) | This bracket includes simpler injuries, such as penetrating wounds to the chest (such as injuries caused by needles being inserted into the chest). There will not be any significant effects on the lungs function over the longer-term. | £11,820 to £16,860 |
| Chest injury | (E) | This level of injury may be caused by the inhalation of smoke or toxic fumes. The injuries caused will not cause permanent damage to the lungs. | £5,000 to £11,820 |
| Chest injury | (F) | At this level, this may include injuries (such as those discussed in this article) which lead to collapsed lungs but from which the claimant may fully recover. | £2,060 to £5,000 |
| Chest injury | (G) | Could include a fractured rib or similar levels of soft tissue injury. Any pain will subside | Up to £3,710 |
| Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury | (B) (1) | Severe forms of illness which cause serious symptoms such as vomiting, pain and fever as well as others. The illness may require a hospital stay. There may be lingering symptoms over time and these may impact things such as the ability to work. | £36,060 to £49,270 |
| Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury | (B) (2) | This could include illnesses which are severe but which are short lived. They should diminish over a short period of time. There could be impacts on different parts of the person’s life and their enjoyment of it. | £8,950 to £18,020 |
| Bowels | (E) | This level includes injuries which penetrate the bowels. There will be some degree of permanent injury though natural bowel function will return | £11,820 to £22,970 |
This dry needling negligence claims calculator only estimates how much compensation you could be awarded in general damages.
Special Damages Victims Of Negligent Medical Procedures Can Claim
If your claim for dry needling injuries is successful, your compensation package will include two heads of claim: general damages and special damages. What does this mean? General damages are compensation for the claimant’s injuries and the pain, suffering and loss of amenity they caused. Special damages reimburse the injured person for any out of pocket expenses they suffered as a result of their injuries.
What special damages could you claim compensation for?
- Medical expenses: This can include the cost of any medical treatment you needed after you were injured, or medical treatment you may need in the future, due to your injuries.
- Travel expenses: This can include the cost of taking a taxi to a hospital A&E department, or the cost of travelling to doctor’s appointments.
- Care expenses: If a friend or family member cared for you whilst you were recovering from your injuries, you may be entitled to claim compensation on their behalf, to compensate them for their time.
- Reimbursement for any income you lost, if you had to take time off work to recover from your injuries.
No Win No Fee Dry Needling Negligence Claims
Legal Expert can give you the option to make a dry needling negligence claim on a no win no fee basis. What does this mean? With a no win no fee claim, there is less risk involved for you the claimant. Instead of paying a solicitors fee upfront, we will charge you a success fee, only on the condition that your solicitor wins your case. Because your fee will be deducted from your compensation package, you don’t have to worry about paying an upfront fee. To learn more about making a no win no fee claim, read our online guide. Alternatively, call us today to speak to an advisor. If you have legitimate grounds to claim compensation, we will provide you with a clinical negligence solicitor to handle your claim.
How We Could Help You Claim For Negligent Medical Practices
If you have been injured, made ill, or had your pre-existing medical condition worsened due to medical negligence, trust Legal Expert to handle your compensation claim. We can value your clinical negligence claim based on your medical records and your solicitor will push to win you the maximum amount of compensation you are owed. Our panel of solicitors have up to thirty years of experience, so your claim is bound to be in safe hands.
Start A Dry Needling Claim
To begin your dry needling compensation claim, contact Legal Expert today for your free consultation. You can call us on 0800 073 8804 or you can use our online claims form to reach us. If we can see that you have legitimate grounds to make a compensation claim, a solicitor will start working on your case as soon as possible.
Resources And Claims Guides
In addition to the resources provided through this guide, below we have included recommended resources and guides from our own site as well as trusted external resources.
Medical Negligence Claims – How Much Compensation Can I Claim? – Learn more about making a compensation claim for medical negligence in this guide.
Acupuncture Claims Guide – How To Claim? How Much Compensation Can I Claim? – Acupuncture and dry needling are similar but different procedures. Learn more about the errors which could be made in acupuncture and when you could claim compensation.
How Much Compensation Can I Claim For Misdiagnosis? – Check how much compensation you could be owed if your medical condition has been misdiagnosed.
External Links
These external resources include further information relating to both dry needling and lung injuries which could be caused by the procedure if improperly performed.
A British Lung Foundation Guide To Pneumothorax – In this British Lung Foundation guide you can find out more about what pneumothorax is.
Dry Needling – Information From The NHS
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Written By Cheleche
Edited By Melissa.